Pay or stick it out? Martyn's dentistry dilemma
Martyn is one such story. He faced hard decisions about his dental care, and his experience highlights why fundamental reform of NHS dentistry is needed to make it more accessible and affordable.
Martyn, lives in Scarborough.
His experience with NHS dentistry in Scarborough has been frustrating, with repeated difficulties in securing an appointment despite needing urgent treatment.
"I have been in Scarborough two years now and still haven't managed to get a dentist appointment. When you contact a dentist they give you a month and say they will then take new patients. You contact them a few weeks before and that month has moved. Its happened twice now.
"I need a root canal and a broken tooth removed and some fillings. I must admit I'm not fond of dentist - who is? - but I really want to get these bits sorted and its become impossible since living here."
Martyn is just one of many peopel struggling to get NHS treatment without facing severely long waits for treatment, often facing delays of months, years, or not at all.
People continue to tell Healthwatch they are joining waiting lists, many practices telling them they are likely having to wait for a long time before an NHS spot becomes available. This leaves people feeling they will only receive treatment if he were to go private, or having to travel out of area, which is unaffordable for many and not possible for many people who struggle.
Dentists don’t have an obligation to keep NHS patients on permanently in the same way as NHS GPs do. However, this is something Healthwatch are calling to change as many people are confused over the rights to register with an NHS dentist.
Some people are even resorting to desperate measures in the form of 'DIY dentistry'. One person, Barry, a 60-year-old disabled man from Scarborough, endured four years of dental pain while waiting for an NHS appointment. In desperation, he resorted to extracting his own tooth using a hammer and pliers, an excruciating process that took over an hour. Barry's situation underscores the severe difficulties many face in obtaining timely dental care in the region.
The situation has prompted calls for urgent reforms to address the lack of access to dental care and to prevent further instances of self-treatment.
What needs to change?
Last November, Healthwatch England published new research to highlight to the Government and the NHS why dental care reform is needed to make it more accessible and affordable.
As a local Healthwatch, we support their calls for serious reform.
The steps we've called for include:
- NHS dentistry should be reformed to give everyone a GP-style right to be permanently registered with a dental practice to get both preventative and urgent care throughout their lifetime.
- Dental practices should clearly communicate to people what they need to do to be maintained as an NHS patient.
- Public awareness of how the NHS dental system works should be improved, to help people consider or plan for alternative sources of care if their practice chooses to stop treating NHS patients.
- More information should be promoted to the public about help with NHS dental charges, such as exemption categories or the NHS Low Income Scheme.
- The NHS should clearly indicate how people can get urgent care via NHS 111 if they don’t have a regular NHS dentist.
